Duck boat operator charged in July sinking that killed 17

In this July 23, 2018 file photo, a duck boat that sank during a thunderstorm on July 19, killing 17 people is retrieved on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Mo. (Nathan Papes / AP)

The operator of a tour boat that sank on a Missouri lake in a July storm, killing 17, faces federal charges in the incident near Branson, federal prosecutors announced on Thursday.

Kenneth Scott McKee, 51, was charged on 17 counts of misconduct, negligence or inattention to duty by a ship’s officer resulting in death, U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison told reporters at a press conference on Thursday morning. The dead included nine members of an Indiana family. Thirty-one people were on board, according to the Maritime Executive.

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“Each of the 17 counts in this indictment represents a life that was lost when Stretch Duck 7 sank while being piloted by Mr. McKee,” Garrison said, noting that the informal name for the statute he was charged under is “seamen’s manslaughter.”

While the storm came in suddenly, it did not come without warning, Garrison said. The indictment alleges that McKee “failed to properly assess incoming severe weather” before leaving shore, even though high winds and lightning were forecast. McKee allegedly ignored numerous automated warnings and did not tell passengers to don life vests when the weather did set in, Garrison said. In addition, when the storm hit, McKee did not make a beeline for shore.

In August, the U.S. Coast Guard found probable cause that it was McKee’s negligence that led to the sinking, the Associated Press reported. Nine members of the family of Tina Coleman, including her husband and three young children, died in the accident. Also killed were two Missouri couples, and Illinois grandmother, a father and son from Arkansas and a retired pastor.

Ripley Entertainment, which owns the tourist boat company, faces at least $100 million in lawsuits from victims’ families. Ripley had bought the company, Ride the Duck, in July 2017 and has tried to have the civil charges dismissed, according to the Kansas City Star.

Company representatives were not immediately available for comment.

McKee was not in custody, but Garrison said that his attorney had been contacted and informed of the allegations. The investigation is ongoing, Garrison added, saying that he could not comment on whether more charges would be filed.

“This indictment represents the beginning and not the end of our efforts into this matter,” Garrison said.